I was unsure whether to put in a team this year, but the squad put up an excellent fight last week to lose a close match to the visitors. The return fixture is in Fenruary.
I have the scores of two games:
[Event "EJCC vs TBGS"]
[Site "Heavitree Social Club"]
[Date "2011.01.21"]
[Round "1"]
[White "James"]
[Black "TBGS"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C00"]
[PlyCount "67"]
{Good play by Black early on gave White the worse position, but White
gradually swung it around to a winning endgame, yet slipped just as victory
was close.} 1. e4 e6 2. f4 ({The system I recommend against the French is} 2.
d4 2... d5 3. exd5 (3. e5 {is a safe system to play.}) 3... exd5 4. c4) 2... d5
3. Nc3 (3. e5 {is OK, grabbing space and shutting in the Bc8}) 3... Nf6 4. d3
$6 {White allows some exchanges that help Black.} (4. e5 Nfd7 5. d4 c5 6. Nf3
Nc6 7. Be3 {is another easy system to understand.}) 4... dxe4 5. Nxe4 Nxe4 6.
dxe4 Qxd1+ 7. Kxd1 Nc6 8. Bb5 Bd7 9. Nf3 a6 10. Ba4 b5 11. Bb3 Be7 12. e5 $6 {
This doesn't have so much point now.} (12. Be3 $1 {
Development is still important!}) 12... O-O 13. Bd2 Rad8 14. c4 Bb4 15. h4 Bxd2
16. Kxd2 Na5 17. Rac1 Nxb3+ 18. axb3 Bc6+ 19. Ke2 Bxf3+ 20. Kxf3 $6 (20. gxf3
$5 {and nearly all White's pawns have something wrong with them!}) 20... c6 $2
{Black loses his advantage with this safe-looking move, and soon even has the
worse position.} (20... Rd3+ $1 $19) 21. Rhd1 21... b4 $6 22. Ke3 22... c5 $6 {
Black has not done anything with his last few moves and now White takes over.}
23. Rxd8 Rxd8 24. Ra1 $1 24... Ra8 25. Ra5 Rc8 26. Rxa6 {The extra pawn on b2
doesn't look so important, but White's Rook and King are both more active than
Black's, and that is important.} 26... h6 27. g4 (27. h5 $1 {is a little better
}) 27... g6 28. Ke4 h5 29. f5 $1 {Very good, you might not have another chance.
} 29... gxf5+ 30. gxf5 exf5+ 31. Kxf5 Kg7 32. Ra7 $1 32... Rc6 33. Ke4 Kg6 34.
Kf4 $6 {One more push might have done it!} ({At the time I liked the look of}
34. Kd5 $5 {e.g.} 34... Rc8 35. Ra6+ Kf5 36. Rf6+ Kg4 37. Rxf7 Kxh4 38. Rg7 Kh3
39. e6 h4 40. Kd6 Kh2 41. e7 h3 42. Kd7 Rh8 43. e8=Q Rxe8 44. Kxe8 Kh1 45. Kd7
h2 46. Rh7 Kg2 47. Rxh2+ Kxh2 48. Kc6) (34. Rd7 $1 {
is even better: Black is running out of moves} 34... Rc8 (34... f6 35. Rd6) ({
White's big threat is} 34... Rb6 35. Rd6+ Rxd6 36. exd6 Kf6 37. Kd5) (34... f5+
35. Kd5) 35. Rd6+ Kh7 36. Kd5 Kg7 37. Rc6) 1/2-1/2
[Event "EJCC vs TBGS"]
[Site "Heavitree Social Club"]
[Date "2011.01.21"]
[Round "2"]
[White "TBGS"]
[Black "Dan"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C64"]
[PlyCount "110"]
{Some good sensible play by both sides, livened up by a few terrible blunders.
} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Bc5 4. Bb5 4... Nf6 {Overlooking White's threat.}
5. Bxc6 bxc6 (5... dxc6 $1 6. Nxe5 6... Bxf2+ $1 7. Kxf2 Qd4+ 8. Kf1 8... Qxe5
{is OK for Black.}) 6. Nxe5 6... d5 $6 {
Good idea, but too loose right now (c6 is hanging)} 7. d3 $2 {
Missing his chance by playing a careful move. That's too careful!} (7. d4 $1
7... Bb4 8. Nxc6 Bxc3+ 9. bxc3 Qd6 10. exd5 Nxd5 11. Ne5) 7... Qd6 8. Nf3 Bg4
9. Bg5 Nh5 10. Bh4 g6 11. O-O O-O 12. Bg3 12... Qe7 $2 ({
Black has a chance to hit back:} 12... Nxg3 $1 13. hxg3 13... Qxg3 $1 14. d4
14... Bxf3 $1 15. fxg3 Bxd1 16. Raxd1 16... Bb4 $11) 13. exd5 cxd5 14. Nxd5 Qd7
15. Nxc7 $2 15... Rac8 $2 (15... Nxg3 $1 {
undermines the Knight and wins a piece.}) 16. Na6 Bd6 17. Bxd6 $2 {
Forces Black to trap the Knight!} 17... Qxd6 18. h3 Bxf3 19. Qxf3 19... Qxa6 {
Ta.} 20. Rfe1 Rxc2 21. Rab1 Qxa2 22. d4 {Now Black gets his wires crossed.}
22... Qxb2 $4 23. Rxb2 23... Rxb2 {
Black is not dead but this is all harder than it should have been!} 24. Rd1 a5
25. d5 Rfb8 26. Qd3 R2b3 27. Qe4 Nf6 28. Qe5 28... Kg7 {
Black enters a pin from which it takes a long while to escape.} 29. d6 R3b5 30.
Qd4 30... Rb1 {Ordinarily, if you're losing, keep pieces on.} 31. Rxb1 Rxb1+
32. Kh2 Rb4 33. Qe5 Rb8 34. d7 $2 (34. Qxa5 $1 {
and White can steer the pawn for a try.} 34... Rb7 35. Qc7 $3) 34... Rd8 35.
Qe7 35... Rxd7 {Now Black is OK.} 36. Qe5 a4 37. g4 Rd5 38. Qc3 g5 (38... h5 $1
39. f4 hxg4 40. hxg4 40... g5 $1) 39. h4 h6 40. hxg5 hxg5 41. Kg3 Kg6 42. Qc2+
Kh6 43. Qc6 (43. Qxa4 $1 {White never got around to taking this pawn.}) 43...
Kg7 44. Qc3 Rd7 45. f4 gxf4+ 46. Kxf4 Kg6 (46... Rc7 $5 {was an amusing idea:}
47. Qxc7 Nd5+) 47. Qc6 Rd4+ 48. Ke5 $4 {
White puts his head in the lion's mouth...} 48... Re4+ 49. Kd6 49... Rxg4 $4 {
The lion doesn't bite!} (49... Re6+ $1) 50. Qc2+ Ne4+ 51. Kd5 f5 52. Qxa4 $4 {
This loses the Queen to two completely different tactics at once!} 52... Nc3+
$1 {Fork} (52... Nf6+ $1 {unmasking} 53. Kc5 Rxa4) 53. Ke6 Nxa4 54. Kd5 f4 55.
Kc6 55... f3 {and Black won} 0-1